1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) system used, for example a for long-range detection of biological weapon (biological warfare agent) aerosol clouds. As such, the present invention can provide early warning for field personnel, providing time for personnel to prepare for the arriving aerosol clouds.
2. Discussion of the Background
Remote stand-off detection of chemical/biological (chem/bio) agents is considered to be a critical necessity in early warning systems enabling maximum survivability of personnel in the battlefield and other sensitive areas. Pulsed elastic backscatter lidar operating in the visible, as described by Lee, et al, “Micro Pulse Lidar for Aerosol & Cloud Measurement”, Advances in Atmospheric Remote Sensing with Lidar, pp 7-10, A. Ansmann, Ed., Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1997, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, and near IR, as described by Condatore, et al, “U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command Counter Proliferation Long Range—Biological Standoff Detection System (CP LR BSDS)”, Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 3707, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, have demonstrated the high sensitivity and long-range (up to 50 km) capability to detect aerosol clouds. Consequently, aerosol lidar is a chosen technique for long-range detection of bio-warfare aerosols. However, single wavelength aerosol lidars, as currently employed, do not provide discrimination between biological weapon (BW) agent aerosols and other natural or interferent aerosol clouds. The capability to differentiate can be augmented by using multiple wavelength and/or multiple polarization elastic scattering signatures. However, the elastic scattering technique lacks the required specificity for deterministic application of the data in the battle field.
Aerosol lidar is an ideal complement to uv fluorescence lidar, as demonstrated by Wilson, et al, “Development of IR and UV Lidar systems for standoff detection of airborne biological materials” Final Report, Contract DAAA15-91-C-0138, STC Technical Report, 1993, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, which discloses a UV laser that excites fluorescence from the biological constituents of the aerosol and measures the fluorescence signature of the biological constituents to provide specificity for discrimination between bio-aerosols and other naturally occurring or interfering aerosols. Since atmospheric absorption at UV wavelengths is high and fluorescence cross-section of the target particles is small, even the use of a high energy laser source with a large aperture telescope only enables conventional fluorescence lidar to achieve a range coverage of three to four kilometers. Jezek and Cannaliato, “Biological Standoff Detection”, Joint Workshop on Standoff Detection for Chemical and Biological defense, pp. 26-30, October 1998, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, have been actively developing both long range and short range sensor systems. Long-range biological standoff detection system LR BSDS, as described in Condatore, et al, “U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command Counter Proliferation Long Range—Biological Standoff Detection System (CP LR BSDS)”, Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 3707, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, is based on elastic scatter aerosol lidar. Short range biological standoff detection system SR BSDS, as described in Suliga, et al, “Short Range Biological Standoff Detection System (SR-BSDS)”, Fourth Joint Workshop on Standoff Detection for Chemical and Biological Defense, Sep. 15, 1998, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, is based on fluorescence and aerosol lidar.
Current chem/bio defense detection systems can provide a rapid indication of a possible BW attack by utilizing multiple independent technologies to provide separate lines of data, which are less likely to be wrong at the same time, thus reducing false alarms. However, present technologies, owing to the complexity and laser power levels required for fluorescence and aerosol lidar, are limited in range and not well suited for an in-the-field, portable early warning detection system.